Greetings, fellow CFS enthusiast, and thank you for downloading this mission.
This is a CFS1 stock mission originally titled Strafe Trucks, Tanks, and Fuel Depot. It has been converted and modified to play in CFS2.
You will be flying from the American side, so the mission will be found under the American section in the mission setup screen.
The objective in this one is to destroy 2 of the 4 tank groups. Each group has 2 tanks and they must both be destroyed from each group. If any three groups, (and a single tank will qualify as a group), gets through to the depot, you will lose and the mission will end. In other words you must destroy 4 of the 8 tanks, and no three different groups can survive to make it to the depot. So you are going to have to destroy 2 whole groups. I'd make a mental note of this if I were you, it will come in handy when assigning wingmen assignments. The target tanks will be the ones named; Hoepner, Blaskowitz, Mowe, and Dicke. Scroll through your tactical display until you get to vehicles and seek them out.
Just extract the contents of the zip file into a temp folder and then cut and paste or drop and drag the .mis and the .dyn files into your CFS2 mission folder.
I also added some sounds from CFS1. They aren't necessary, but it does improve the experience. You will also need to copy a few sound files from your Cfs2 Sound folder into your Cfs2 Sound/Action folder. Specific instructions are found in the sounds folder included with this file. Look for the Install Sounds.txt file.
Plus you need the Ground Crew tanks, located in the CFS2 section under CFS2 stuff, and Akemi's Bf109g-6 "Gustav".
***If these links are dead or inaccurate, try asking for assistance on one of the CFS forums out there for updated locations.***
This is a pretty difficult mission, in my opinion. I've been having lots of trouble with it. But I also think it's one of the best of the bunch. *In my first build the goal was to destroy 3 of the 4 groups, but it was just way too hard, even by my standards.*
In the CFS1 stock version, nearly everything was tagged "must be destroyed", but then I guess that's the way we used to do it back in the CFS1 days. I tried it as a regular blast all the targets kind of mission, but it just didn't have that extra something I was looking for. So instead of just making it an "attack target area and fend off defending aircraft" style of mission, I chose to make the tanks the focus. I originally used the stock tanks, but the Ground Crew has a really nice collection of German tanks, so I chose to use them instead. You can get them Here. While you're there you may as well pick up the British and German radio calls packs as well, as I'm using those in most of these converted missions. (Collect em all in other words LOL) *Both things are located in the CFS2 section under CFS2 stuff.
There are 7 other planes in your group, and you are carrying rockets, but the goal is difficult. Staying alive can be a real challenge.
There is much flak (give me but three flakpanzers and I can defend the whole of Europe, LOL), and random enemy aircraft to deal with to make it a bit more difficult. Originally it had many flak-gunners, but I cut them down. My framerates were terrible, utterly unplayable.
This one turned out being one of my favorites in the end. A full-on shoot-em-up if ever there was one. Sometimes your ai wingmen will blast the targets you assign them on the first pass and you can get in and out quickly. Other times it seems like they couldn't hit water if they fell in the ocean. I have tested this mission very extensively and am satisfied with the difficulty level. I think it is fairly well balanced. This is one that has much replay value in my opinion.
Here are a few tips, but you'll have your most fun experimenting for yourself.
As always it was designed to be played at 100%. It should play fine on other settings as well, but it was not tested on any.
This mission was designed and tested using warping. I can make no guarantees what it will do in real time.
I switched up the choice of plane from a P-51 to a P-38 in this mission. Partly because it keeps you from having to download another plane, and partly (Ok, mostly, I admit it!) because I just prefer a Lightning. I used the stock CFS2 P-38, as everyone has it, and the mission called for rockets, which I also decided to keep. It's pretty cool watching those AI Lightnings fire off their whole load of rockets into a tank. With a bit of good luck, maybe those guys will knock out a couple of tanks on the initial run, and give you a good start toward completing your goal.
For the enemy plane I chose Akemi's mz-Bf109g-6. You can get it Here. An absolutely beautiful "Gustav", probably the best looking one I've ever seen, and it performs well as an enemy which is the most important factor. They've shot me down repeatedly.
Just make sure the folder name is mz-Bf109g-6 to avoid
the dreaded mission file may be corrupted message.
***If you run this mission through the mission builder, you should know that I hand edited some parts
of the mission file, and you will lose these edits. I eliminated the "you must survive" automatic goal, and I also modified
the ai skill levels. If you wish to change planes or other minor changes, I would advise using Keith Bedford's CFSme2 mission
editor. Try a search on google if you have trouble tracking it down. If you run the mission back through the mission editor, the mission
will no longer play as it was intended. Keith's mission editor is great for making small changes, as well as a few
"classic" tweaks we used to do back in the CFS1 days.***
I can't guarantee what kind of results you will get if you do swap planes. These planes match up pretty well and the AI at least tries to do what I told it to. That's the most important aspect to me.
I'd also recommend installing some form of European CFS1 runways. During testing I just used an old set of bare runways that have NDB's included. I believe I got them at Netwings. The zip file name is cfs2rwy2.zip. These match up to the european runways listed in the airbases.dat file, so there is none of that annoying adding runways to the airbases.dat file. It is fine to check your advanced info screen in other words.
I deleted all objects from the mission files that were at or around the runways. Mainly because it takes longer to load when they're all there, and secondly because some of you are probably using other scenery packs anyway, and this would just cause a bunch of overlapping and altogether sloppy looking scenery. If you don't have any of the CFS1 runways installed, you'll just be taking off from bare land (no runways). If you don't mind that, then neither do I.
I also included ditching (like C. Burgess uses in his missions). Just come to a complete stop anywhere outside the base area (about a mile or so), and cut off your engine. It will trigger an end mission event in a matter of seconds. This works on land or water.
Curiously though, I have ditched successfully in enemy territory after having completed the mission goal, and I wasn't captured by the enemy. I have done this several times. Not sure why it does this, but I have been unable to find an answer. Yes there is a front line around the enemy territory, in case you're wondering. I've bailed out in the same area and been captured. Go figure.
This is part of a series of missions that I've labeled the "redux" series. There should be in excess of a dozen or more when all is said and done.
I also have other "experiments" sitting on my hard drive if I can get around to completing them, stay tuned...
Well, get out there and save the world. Hope you have fun, good luck and watch 6!
This package is freeware and cannot be sold for any reason. You may post it where you like, just so long as all original documentation (this HTML file!) is included as well. Swap it, pass it along, hack it, but most importantly have fun with it.
Use at your own risk, no warranty implied or offered. I will accept no responsibility for any damage you think may have been caused to your pc and or marriage due to the use of this mission or any of its contents.
I can be reached at the address below.
Designed and tested on a PIII 600, windows 98 SE, 128 RAM, Voodoo 3 2000 system. (You can stop laughing now, I can hear you!!!) The same system I was playing the original versions of these CFS1 converted missions on. As the saying goes, "She ain't much, but she's mine".
All HTML on this page was done by hand using wordpad and tested on Internet Explorer 6.0. Not sure what it'll look like on anything else, but it looks ok with IE 6.0.
All grammatical errors are solely the fault of the author and cannot be blamed on anyone or thing excepting himself.
FvB missions are made under the influence of rock and roll.
LONG LIVE ROCK!!!
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